Air conditioning furnace



March 1943- H. HJMcNAuei-n'oN 2,315,070

. AIR CONDITIONING FURNACE I Filed April 24, 1959 5 sheets-sheet 1 30,1943. H. H. McNAUGHTbN 2 1 7 AIR CONDITIONING FURNACE Filed April 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March .30, 1943.

H. H. M NAUGHTON AIR CONDITIONING FURNACE Filed April 24, 19s9 5 Sheets-Sheet s fie en 2%; M uqtbozneys H. H. MCNAUGHTON AIRCONDITIONING FURNACE March so, 1943.

Filed April 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Shut Ely.

March 30, 1943. H. H. MCNAUGHTON AIR CONDITIONING FURNACE Filed April 24, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 5 /7 uen 1601* 4 )4 I {63%; dz ya Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- AIR CONDITIONING FURNACE Hart H. McNaughton, Maryville, Tenn. Application April 24, 1939; Serial No. 269,802

11 Claims. 01126-99) This invention relates to an improvement in air conditioning furnaces designed for heating or cooling the air to be circulated in a room or building.

The object of the invention is to assemble a plurality of units into an air conditioning plant or heater so as to utilize units of standard construction which may be individually regulated and assembled at the place of manufacture,

and yet may be shipped to and assembled at the point of use or installation. This enables the construction of an air conditioning furnace or plant in an inexpensive manner and with substantial economy both as to construction and 111-,

stallation. I

A further object of the invention is to improve the supply of air both to the heating chamber and to the combustion chamber, as well as the regulation thereof, by utilizing a single blower supplied.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which:'

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled air conditioning furnace;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough. substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, substantially on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a. horizontal sectional view through the lower portion of the furnace showing the stoker drive and control mechanism, substantially on the line M of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detailed side elevation, partly in section, showing the speed change belt;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view therethrough on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a detailed end elevation of a portion of the stoker and its driving mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a detailed cross section and elevation T of a. portion of the control box and its contacts;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view through I the lower portion of the stoker;

Fig. 13 is a similar view through the upper portion of the stoker;-and

Fig. 14 is a partial sectional view therethrough 0n the line H ll of Fig. 13, with parts in plan.

This improved air conditioning furnace is designed for use in the usual manner of hot air furnaces by drawing air through the cold air system of the house into and through the furnace where it is warmed or cooled, as desired, filtered and humidified, and then recirculated through the ducts back to the various rooms of the house or other portions of the building in which the furnace may be used.

Fig. 1 shows the various units comprising the complete furnace or plant assembled incompact arrangement. As here shown, the numeral i denignates the chassis which encloses all of the operating parts of the furnace where they may be assembled and adjusted in the shop ready for transportation to the desired point of use. The chassis l and the other structural parts .of the respective units are preferably formed from sheet metal, braced with the usual angles to add strength where needed for securely enclosing the operating parts therein and to permit ofproper assembly.

Mounted upon the chassis I is a heating chamber 2, the construction of'which may be similar to that usually providedin a furnace of this character, except that it has a door 3 in one side thereof to provide access to the interior of the heating chamber for cleaning or repairs and through which the heating unit may be installed or removed. A clinker door 4 is provided within the door 3 for removing the clinkers, from the stoker unit, and said clinker door 4 serves also as an opening through which the fire pot may I be 'relined without removing the heatingunit from the heating chamber.

The heating chamber 2 rests upon the chassis l and is in substantial communication therewith, which lets the air recirculate in contact with all warm parts of the heating unit, as shown in vibration and noise, as will be described hereafter. The bottom of the chassis I is covered with an asbestos lining I (Fig. 2) to confine the heat within the furnace at this point and to prevent the danger of fire.

The chassis l is provided with an opening 8 into the bottom of the air chamber of the stoker through which the stoker may be cleaned out at this point and any ash or other foreign matter removed; A second door 9 in a side of the chassis l provides an opening to the moving parts of the mechanism for gaining access thereto.

The heating chamber 2 is preferably provided with a humidifier III, of usual construction and may be automatic if desired. The upper portion of the-heating chamber2 has outlets ll adapted for communication with the warm air conduits leading to the respective rooms or other parts of the building.

Extending transversely in the top of the chassis I are angle bar supports l2 upon which is supported a combustion chamber I3, which may be .either round or square, and the top and bottom thereof may be welded or otherwise secured. The combustion chamber 13 has a lateral opening I4.;in a side thereof extending to the door 4, while the opposite side has a flue vent for connection with the chimney.

' Mounted within the combustion chamber l3 and supported upon the bottom thereof is a fire potlG preferably lined with fire bricks H. The fire pot I6 extends upwardly within the combustion chamber [3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the combustion chamber l3 and fire pot l6 are held in place on the angle bars l2 by clamps l8, one end of each engaging under an angle bar [2, while the opposite end is connected by a bolt IS with a lug 20, extending laterally from a side wall of the combustion chamber l3. Thus, the combustion chamber is locked in place on its supports for easy removal or ready assembly, as desired.

Mounted directly in the bottom of the fire pot l 6 is a tuyere head 2 I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 13,

which head has radial openings 22 into the center thereof for directing air for supporting combustion. This tuyre head 2| may be assembled in the fire pot I6 in the shop as a unit, and then transported to the point of use for assembly in the furnace.

Coacting with the tuyere head 2| and mounted in thechassis' I, is a fuel stoker having a bowl 23 located within the supporting bars I2, as shown in Fig. 12. The bowl 23 is provided with a surrounding fiange 24 having openings 25 therein for the supply of air upward therethrough to the radial tuvre openings 22. A lip 26 on the upper edge of the bowl 23 is received within the groove 21 in the head 2| to form a tight connection therebetween and to prevent the leakage of dust and air. The chassis l is provided with-an air -chute is seated a hopper 3.". in communication therewith, as ,shown in Fig. 2. The tube 3|! receives aconveyor'screw 33 operatively mounted therein and having a shaft 34 journaled in one end of the tube 30 and projecting therefrom, carrying a sprocket wheel 35, as shown in Figs. 2, 10 and 12.

The sprocket wheel 35 is connected through a sprocket chain 36 with a sprocket wheel 3'! mounted-on a shaft 38 (Figs. 4 and 10) journaled at one end in the chassis l The opposite end of the shaft 38 from the sprocket 31 is mounted in spaced bearings 39 (Fig. 4) which bearings are supported on a base 40. The base 40 also carries anti-friction bearings 4| in which a shaft 42 is journaled. The shaft 42 carries a worm or spiral gear 43 thereon meshing with a worm wheel or coacting spiral gear 44 mounted upon and slidably keyed to the shaft 38, so as to be'capable of longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto while maintaining its driving connection therewith. I

The base 40 is slidably mounted upon rods 45, as shown in'Fig. 6, which rods are shown as carried by angle bar supports 46. Thus the base 40 is capable of forward and backward adjustment on the rods 45, during which movement the gear 44 will slide along the shaft 38 and maintain the driving connection therewith.

This adjustment is accomplished by means of a lever 41 (Fig. 4) one end of which is forked and engages a pin 48 attached to the base 40, while the opposite end forms a handle for adjustment and projects through the external wall of the chassis as shown in Fig. 1. The lever 41 extends over a bracket 49 provided with a series of openings to receive a pin 50 which looks the lever in any one of several adjusted positions according to the desired location of the base 40.

The shaft 42 has mounted thereon opposed cones 5| and 52, the cone 5| being fixed to the shaft 42, while the cone 52 is slidably keyed to the shaft, being pressed toward the cone Si by a coiled spring 53 interposed between the cone 52 anda collar 54.

Extending between the cones 5| and 52 and forming a driving connection therewith is a belt 55 having blocks 56 secured to opposite sides thereof, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and suitably spaced apart so that the belt will turn in a relatively small radius, and which blocks 56 extend to the outer edges of the belt to increase the thickness thereof at the edges where the belt contacts the inner faces of the cones 5| and 52 with a driving connection therebetween, as will be apparent from Fig. 4.

The opposite end of the belt 55 extends over a pulley 51 carried by a tube 58 which tube is mounted on anti-friction bearings 59 on a shaft 60. The shaft 60 is mounted in anti-friction bearings 6| in a standard 62 at one end and in anti-friction bearings 63, in a standard 64 at its opposite end. The standards 62 and 64 are supported upon the angle bars 46, as shown in Fig. 7, which angle bars arecarried on soft rubber blocks or mountings 65.

One end of the shaft 60 projects through a ,side wall of the chassis l' and carries a pulley 66 thereon receiving a belt 61 (Fig. 1), extending over a pulley 68 on the armature shaft of an electric motor 69 which is mounted beside the chassis. Thus, when the motor is operating continuously while it is energized, the shaft 60 will be driven. This shaft 68 is free to rotate relative to the pulley 51, but carries a clutch HI fixed thereon in position to coact with a cone II formed at one end of the pulley 51. When the cone 1| is in frictional engagement with the clutch 10,

42, and through the gears 83 and t8, and the shaft 38, this motionis transmitted to drive the conveyor screw 33 to feed fuel through the stoker to the combustion zone. It will be' evident that the speed of rotation of the shafts 38 and; 42 may be varied by adjustment of the base 88 forward or backward. When the base is moved backward away from the shaft 88 the belt 55 is drawn toward the center of the cones and '52, providing a more direct drive therefor and for the shaft 62, changing the ratio and increasing the speed of the latter.

The spring 53 allows the cone 52 to move backward and forward to permit of this relative adjustment of the cones to accommodate for this arflustment of the belt.

When the cone 'II is shifted out of engagement with the clutch I8 to discontinue the driving of the stoker screw, a cone I2 at the opposite end of the pulley- 51 is shifted into engagement with a. brake 13 fixed to the standard 62, which holds the pulley 51 against rotation, even though the shaft may continue to rotate.

The pulley 51 is shifted longitudinally of the shaft; 80 by a clutch ring I4, which is engaged by a bell-crank yoke 15, the-free end of which is pivoted at I6 to one end of a rod II, the opposite end of which is connected with the plunger ing air from the intake 86 into and through the cooling unit 88, thence downward beyond the damper through the casing 85 and the filters 88 to the blower 83. However, for winter use,rthe

damper would be adjusted to the dotted line position inFig. 2 for directing the air from the intake 86 downward to the blower.

As shown in Fig. 4, the discharge side of the blower 83 is not in direct communication with the air chamber 28 that supplies the air to sup port combustion in the stoker, but an opening is arranged therebetween controlled by a vane 98 pivoted at 97, to a wall 29 of the air chamber 28. The vane 98 is pivotally connected with a connecting rod 98, which extends to one arm of a bell-crank lever 89 pivoted at I88 to an extended portion of the base 48. The other arm of the bell-crank lever 99 extends into the path of an abutment I8I carried by the rod I1 in posi- I8 of a solenoid 18. The rod 11 extends through a. bracket 88, between which bracket and a collar on the rod is sleeved. a spiral spring 8|, normally tending to urge the rod forwardly to move the cone I2 into engagement with the brake 13.

The solenoid I9 is adapted to be connected through wires 82 with a thermostat located at a desired point to be energized when additional heat is required, for moving the rod 11 forward in Fig. l and shifting the pulley 51 to engage the clutch l8 and drive the stoker screw to feed additional fuel to the combustion area.

The shaft 68 also carries the rotor 88 of a.

- sirocco blower within a blower casing 84, communicating at its discharge side with the interior of th 'chassis and the heating chamber 2 for directing air therethrough'around the combustion chamber I3. The intake of the, blower casin 84 communicates with a, casing 85, one side of which is provided fwith' an intake pipe 88 connected with the cold air conduit system 81, ex-' tending from the :rooms or other parts of the house or building. Filters 88 of standard or wellknown constructionextend transversely of the intake casing 85 through which the air passes to ,the blower 83. The casing 85 is provided with a door 89 in one'side thereof to facilitate examination or replacement of the filters 88.

Mounted over the casing 85 is a cooling unit 98 having provision for cooling the air passing through the conduit system in warm weather, as during the summer. The unit 98 is shown as provided with ag'door 8| for gaining access to the interior thereof. This cooling unit 88 may be of any suitable or well-known construction providing for refrigeration, but is shown as'provided with water evaporator pans 92, as a meansof cooling-and humidifying the' air passing therethrough.

A dam er 98 is adiustably mounted in the casing 85 having its respective edges slidably.

and 95 for adjustment mounted in grooves 94 from the full 11 1 position in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position therein. When located inthe full line position, he damper 93 directs the incomline position in Fig. 4, which turns an angular tion to be actuated thereby upon energizing of the solenoid I9. The vane 96 is adapted for 'of the air from the blower 83 into the air cham--' ber 28 to support combustion at the tuyeres 22. It will be noted that the vane 96 will be thus opened whenever the solenoid I9 is energized by its control thermostat to maintain a driving connection at the clutch I8 for driving the stoker screw. This saves the cost of an extra blower and motor for the stoker and also simplifies the structure with marked economies of construction and installation. It will be notedthat when the base 40 is retracted to its dotted line position in Fig. 4, this provides for greater swinging movement of the bell-crank lever 99,'pushing the vane 96 open further to'the extreme dotted line position indicated in Fig. 4, thereby providing for the supply of more air to the-chamber 28 to support combustion. according to the increased speed of the stoker feed which will be provided upon such adjusted position of the base.

In the passage of the air from the blower to the air chamber 28 is an inwardly projecting wall abutment I82 which directs the air from the blower laterally of said passage against a second vane I83 pivoted 'at I04 for swinging movement to the dotted line position in Fig. 4. The purpose of the secondary vane I83 is to control automatically the volume of air supplied through the passage to the air chamber 28 in addition to the control provided by the adjustment of the vane 98. This is desirable when the fuel becomes thin and furnishes less resistance to the air cur rent when it might burn the tuyre castings. To.

reduce the quantity of air upon this increase in the velocity, the vane I02 will be forced back thereby from its full line position to its dotted portion I85 formed at the end thereof laterally into the air passage, thereby reducing the size of the passage and the amount of air supplied therethrough to the air chamber 28. A spring I88 bears against the back side of the secondary vane.l83 to counteract the pressure of the air thereagainst. This secondary vane automatically controls the velocity by one moving part of the air for combustion, and acts as a safety device to prevent undue heat which would be caused by excessive air when there is less resistance by the fuel supply. I

Also mounted on the chassis l'is an electric control box I01 in which the various standard controls are mounted to enable these to be assembled in the shop in position for ready adjustment merely by fitting the control box thereon through the use of contact switches I08, as shown in Fig. 11.

It will be clear that a thermostatic control will be provided in the room or building for controlling the operation of the electric motor 89 according to the temperature desired, and as indicated above, a separate thermostatic control set at a slightly lower temperature is provided in the same room for controlling the energizing of the solenoid 19.

To enable the heating unit to supply hotwater for the house at all times, a standard automatic hot water heater I09 is provided as a part of the unit and mounted upon the chassis l, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This hot water heater I09 has connections llil and i II for the respective hot and cold water lines of the building. The details of the heater structure are not shown since these may be of any suitable form, and may use electric or gas heating means for heating the same independently of the furnace. However, pipes H2 and H3 connect the heater the top supporting frame, a combustion chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame thereof in enclosing relation around the heating means, a support mounted on the chassis frame and having the heatingchamber and the combustion chamber jointly supported thereby as a unit, and means for securing said support to the top supporting frame of the furnace. i

4. An air conditioning heater comprising a chassis having means forming a chamber therewith the interior of the heating chamber l3 .fuel to the burner and having a shaft for operating said stoker, means for supplyingair to the heating chamber including a blower fan, and an air passage leading therefrom to the heating chamber, a shaft for driving said fan, power means for driving the last-mentioned shaft, change speed mechanism between the fan shaft and the stoker shaft and forming a driving connection therebetween to drive the stoker shaft from the fan shaft at variable speeds relative thereto, an auxiliary .air passage leading from the first-mentioned passage to the combustion chamber, a deflector arranged to control the supply of air from the first-mentioned air passage to the auxiliary air passage, means for opening ,said deflector automatically when, the stoke! shaft is driven from the fan shaft, and means for varying the extent of opening of the deflector in response to'variations in the speed of drive of the stoker shaft. 1 a

2. An air conditioning heater? comprising a chassis having means forming a chamber there-- in and a top supporting frame, heating means mounted'in the chassis chamber, a heating chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame, a combustion chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame'thereof in enclosing relation around the heating means, and means for securing said chambers to the top supporting frame of the chassis.

3. An air conditioning heater comprising a chassis-having means forming a chamber therein and a top supporting frame, heating means mounted in the chassis chamber, a heating chamin and a top supporting frame, heating means mounted in the chassis chamber, a heating chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame,'a combustion chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame thereof in enclosing relation around the heating means, means for securing said chambers to the top supporting frame of the chassis, and an air supply unit mounted on the chassis, said air supply unit having means for directing air to the heating chamber.

5. A heater comprising -a heating chamber, a separate combustion chamber, means for supplying air to the heating chamber including a power blower, a drive shaft for said blower, fuel supply means for the combustion chamber having a control shaft, means for operating said control shaft from the'blower drive shaft, means movable to 30' open and closed positions for deflecting air from said air supply means to the combustion chamber, and means for jointly controlling the operating means and the deflecting means for supplying air to the combustion chamber during feeding of fuel thereto.

6. A heater comprising a heating chamber, a separate combustion chamber, means for supplying air to the heating chamber including a power blower, a drive shaft for said blower, fuel supply, means for the combustion chamber having a control shaft, clutch means for driving the control shaft from the blower drive shaft, means movable to open and closed positions for deflecting air from said air supply means to the combustionchamber, and means for Jointly engaging the clutch means and opening the air deflecting means for supplying air to the combustion chamher during feeding of fuel thereto.

7. A heater comprising a heating chamber, a separate combustion chamber, means for supplying air to the heating chamber including a power blower, a drive shaft for said blower, fuel supply means for the combustion chamber having a control shaft, clutch means for driving thecontrol shaft from the blower drive shaft, means movable to open and closed'positions for deflecting air from said air supply means to the combustion chamber, electrically actuated means for engaging and disengaging the clutch means, and means for opening the air deflecting means upon engagement of the clutch means for supplying air to the combustion chamber during feeding of fuel thereto,

8. A heater comprising a heating chamber, a

separate combustion chamber, means for supplying air to the heating chamber including a power blower, a drive shaft for said blower, fuel supply means for the combustion chamber having a con,- trol shaft, clutch means for driving the control shaft from the blower drive shaft, means movable to open and closed positions for deflecting air from said air supply means to the combustion chamber, a clutch shift rod arranged to engage ber separate from the chassis and mounted on 76 and disengage the clutch means, electro-magnetic means for moving said shift-rod and adapted a for actuation in response to temperature variations, and means operatively connected with the Y shift rod for opening the air deflecting means 9. In a heater having a blower and fuel supply I means, the combination of a drive shaft for the blower, a control shaft for the fuel supply means, a clutch-on the drive shaft, a belt having a driving connection, with the clutch, relatively movable discs operatively connected with the control shaft and receiving the belt therebetween for varying the speed of the discs upon relative movement thereof toward and from'each other, and mounting means for the discs movable lengthwise of the belt to vary the speed thereof.

10.,An air conditioning heater comprising. a chassis having means forming a chamber therein with a top supporting frame, heating means mounted in the chassis chamber, a heating chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame, a combustion chamber separate from the chassis and mounted on the top supporting frame' thereof in enclosing relation aroundthe heating means, said heating and combustion chambers having the lower ends thereof open to the first-mentioned chamber, and means for supplying air to said first-mentioned chamber for admission therefrom to the heating and combustion chambers.

11. In a heaterhaving a combustion chamber and a burner therein, the combination of apower the power means with the drive shaft, means for actuating said clutch to engaged and disengaged 20 positions, and means for connecting said actuating means with the vane and constructed for opening said vane when the clutch is moved to an engaged position. Y

- HART H. MCNAUQHTON, 

